Learning Resilience from My Expat Toddler—and other smart ideas

Lots to share today, some on-topic, others completely random …

The Transition to Expat Life

I’m guest posting at Expat Chat, organized by Susan Pohlman, author of Halfway to Each Other. I wrote about learning resilience from my expat toddler. Here’s an excerpt:

Flashdance Toddler

To say my 2 1/2 year old daughter’s transition from LA to Belgrade was difficult would be an understatement.

What I failed to realize was this garrulous little girl was used to being able to explain her every thought and desire. Here in her cute Serbian preschool, the teachers were great, but they spoke no English.

It was total immersion. Trial by fire. Sink or swim.

After a short time, she learned some coping mechanisms. We expats could take a few pointers: …

Click here to read more (and see some great photos)

Round-up of Interesting Stuff

“Adoption Is,” an insightful poem by Lynn Grubb that shares both the positives and negatives of adoption.

Congrats to fellow expat writer, Bex at Leaving Cairo, for her contribution to the anthology, Foreign Encounters. The book will be available October 24 and includes stories of planned and serendipitous encounters. What I really like is that the articles not only discuss interactions with real people, but (perhaps more importantly) they highlight writers’ encounters with their own prejudices.

Speaking of preconceived notions … See you on Monday when I talk about the controversial, somewhat emotional topic of inat, a Turkish word defined as persistence. In Serbian, the term takes on a deeper cultural meaning of spiteful resistance, or willful defiance. For some, inat has a very negative connotation.

Why do I care? Why should you? Why can’t I just leave well-enough alone and talk more about city graffiti?

Check out Monday’s post, and I’ll tell you why.

P.S.  Have you heard of Amy Poehler’s “Smart Girls Ask Amy” series on You Tube?

I am constantly reminding Danica is to do smart things.

You know, think before you act. … Is it smart to walk through the grassy field where you know dogs leave their business? No. Is it smart to run syrupy-sticky hands through your long hair? No. Is it smart to swing from the curtains (when you saw your brother rip them out of the ceiling just last week)? No.

Amy’s series is all about girls being smart, and celebrating girls who do smart things. Love it.